All men, high school age and older are invited to join in our monthly men’s meeting. It’s a context where men learn to talk like men about God. Christians and non-Christians are welcome. If you’re a man, then you’re eligible to join on Thursday evening. Just come with yourself and prepare to be encouraged and instructed.
This upcoming Sunday is Mother’s Day. While this is a holiday that’s not prescribed by Scripture or even centuries of church tradition, it’s a worthwhile holiday to celebrate. Why? Because mothers are a gift from the Lord. They’re whose instruction children should heed as they grow up (Prov. 6:20). They’re the ones who carried each of us within their very wombs. Their love is a picture of God’s gentle and compassionate love for us (Isaiah 66:13).
This applies to all mothers with young children. Mothers with grown children. Mothers who grieve over the children they’ve lost in utero or outside the womb. Even future mothers. Ladies, we respect you, love you and thank God for you.
From Thursday, May 2 through Saturday, May 4, 21 leaders from 8 Sovereign Grace Churches gathered in Orange County for an annual Regional Assembly of Elders Retreat. This “regional assembly” is a representation of our partnership with these particular churches from Pasadena and Orange, California; Tucson, Yuma and Gilbert, Arizona; and Westminster and Aurora, Colorado. While we love and pray for all Gospel-proclaiming churches in our city, we have a special kind of partnership with these churches. There is a commitment to accountability in our statement of faith. There is accountability for pastors in their leadership of churches through a regional judiciary committee. There is a mutual commitment to financial support of the Gospel mission in new church planting efforts in our regions. The benefits of our partnership go on and on and we’re grateful for our partner churches in the west.
Please continue to pray for these churches and for future church planting efforts within our region!
Many thanks to Jim and Angie Cunningham for hosting and leading our church’s first “Art of Marriage” course. 6 couples, ranging in number of years married from 1 year to more than 30 years, went through 6 different lessons. They discussed, read material, did homework together and overall, sought to grow nearer to one another and nearer to Christ in their marriages. We believe that the Lord accomplished this. Thanks to all who prayed and participated!
As a church, we had the joy and the privilege of hosting Erik Rangel from our sister church in Yuma, Arizona. Eric preached from 1 Corinthians 9 concerning cross-cultural ministry and what it means to “be all things to all people”. More importantly, he explored Paul’s motive and our motive for being “all things to all people”. We have a reason to sacrifice our preferences and our cultural comfortabilities for the sake of one another and our neighbors because we know what it’s like to be served by one greater than ourselves. Whether you speak English or Spanish, give this past week’s sermon a listen for the sake of the effectiveness of your own ministry to those who are culturally different from you.
Erik Rangel from Legacy Church in Yuma, AZ will be joining us this next Sunday and preaching a bilingual, English-spanish sermon concerning cross-cultural ministry. Erik has served and pastored in a multiethnic context much like ours for years and years and comes with much wisdom and experience. Plan on joining him for lunch at a local establishment immediately after church. Come prepared with questions regarding the subject of cross-cultural ministry.
El próximo domingo, tendremos un predicador invitado llamado Erik Rangel. Erik es el pastor principal de Legacy Church en Yuma, Arizona. Predicará un sermón bilingüe español-inglés. Invite a todos sus vecinos, amigos y familiares que hablan español.
Beginning this past Sunday, we’re participating in a two week fundraiser for Livingwell Pregnancy Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to loving mothers and loving their babies, even if not yet born. This is important work and it strikes near to God’s heart for the most vulnerable among us.
If you haven’t yet, grab a baby bottle next Sunday and ask your friends and family to help you fill it to help fund Livingwell’s mission.
For questions, contact Angie Cunningham.
This year, we'll be spending the first Friday of every month fasting together and praying for a particular topic. Church members who fast for all 12 Fridays will be invited to a year-end party to celebrate the answers to our prayers. If fasting is new to you, here are some instructions.
This month, we’re praying for our LGBTQ+ neighbors. Here are a few ideas to guide your prayer:
Pray for both courage and compassion for members of Sovereign Grace Santa Ana as we engage in conversation with and about our LGBTQ+ neighbors
Pray for genuine friendships to develop
Pray that our church would be a safe place for anyone wrestling with same sex attraction to talk about it
Pray for those within or outside of the church who experience confusion over the issues surrounding LGBTQ+ discussion
Pray for salvation for all of our neighbors
Prayer can often seem both mundane and impractical in the midst of the opposition a Christian faces while living a life abiding in Christ. Prayer, however, is more important and powerful, than virtually any other tool or strategy any Christian has at his or her disposal.
So important is it that it stood near the center of Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples. Listen to this last week’s sermon to learn more and grow in the priority of prayer.
